Bomb-launching apparatus.



H. CLARKE, BORN ASHTON & D. MAGGIORA.

BOMB LAUNCHINQ APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1915.

Patented Abr. 9, 1918.

1' srxrns Parana orries.

, ARY HANNAH e -Em Asnromhnn DEMETRIO MAGGIORA, or rams, rmuvon.

BoMB-LAUivcmne APPARATUS.

CLARKE, born ASHTON, married woman, of

.10 Rue du 4t 'Septembre at Paris, Republic of France, British subject,banker, and

DEMETRIO MAGGIORA, engineer, Italian j-ec't, f Rue du 4: Septembre atParis,

Republic of France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBomb Launching Apparatus; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as i willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same. "The present invention relates to an apparatus for launching abomb by the explosion i of a gaseous mixture.

This apparatus is composed of an explo sion chamber provided with acylindrical tube or barrel containing the bomb. The gaseousmixture,;which is preferably acetylene gas,is introduced into theexplosion chamber by means of a conduit, the ignition being effected byan automatic lighter or like device. The pressure of the gases at themoment of the explosion, expels the pro- 'jectile with great force andadmission valves Fig. 4 is a vertical section through a modification.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail showing the three-way valve in one of itspositions.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 is the cylindrical wall of the explosionchamber, which is provided with two ends 2 and 3. The barrel 4 of theweapon, is secured to the end 2 and receives a projectile such as abomb,

grenade or the like. The explosive mixture is introduced through aperforated conduit 6 and supplied from the exterior through a pipe 7which latter is divided into two branches 7 and 7 as clearlyillustrated. A three Way valve 8 places the pipe 7 in communication withconduits 7 and 7 or places the latter in communication with each other,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 191's.

Application filed November 5 1915. Serial No. 59,817.

shutting off the pipe? at the same time. It is thereby possible tocommunicate with a generator through the pipe 7 and witha measuringdevice M through the pipe 7 or place the generator in communication withthe measuring device. Instead of the valve and of the measuring device,use may be made ofany kind of measuring device. The two ends 2 and 3 areconnected to each other by means of stays 9 provided with bolts 10 attheir ends. The ends of the chamber 1 are, moreover, perforated at 11(see Fig. 3) fort-he receptionof air admission valves. The valvescomprise a plate 12, provided with'a rod 13 and a spring 14:, abuttingagainst anutof the rod 13 and a ring 15 simultaneously through themedium of a system of rings and levers shown in Fig. 1.

The illustrated controlling system is composed of two rings 16 and 16pivoted at 17 and 17 respectively, upon arms connected with thecylinder 1. These rings are, fun thermore, interconnected by means of arod 18, a lever 19 pivoted to the arm 20, integral with the cylinder 1,and a link 21, so that when the rod 18 is displaced to the left, thesystem assumes the position indicated in dotted lines (Fig. 1) causingthe rings to bear on the tail ends of the valves and thereby opening thelatter. The cylinder 1 is extended by a sectional cylinder 22 whichserves as a support for the apparatus and is secured by means of a rod23 and a hinged connection 24 to a board 25 which may be securely placedon the soil of the trench.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modification in which the barrel 4 is located inthe interior of the explosion chamber. In this construction the gasespenetrate the tube 4 through perforations 26 formed at the end thereofnearest to the end 3. This constructional form of the apparatus"decreases the volume occupied by the apparatus and facilitates thetransport of the latter.

The conduit 6 may then be constituted by a series of rings 6 6 6 and 6*concentric -,oi:' said-' explosionchamber.

" 2. An apf aratus 'V-for launching bombs,

comprising an explosionchamber, a reduced f (tube .01: barrel connectedto one end of said rexplosion chamber, and positively operated l airinlet reliefyalvcs associated 'With both ends of said explosion chamber,said valves soarranged-as tocreate, When'open, a pasplosion chamber, asmaller cylindricalchamh 7 mpr g a ng chamber whollyWithinthe'fexplosion chamber and sur- 3 l the annular V conduitsroundedthereby, and sjeri'es of perforated annular conduits uniformlydistributed throughout theexplosionchamber anden circlingthefiringchamber for supplying V V necessary explosive gaseous mixture to""saidexplosion chaniber; 3'0

chamber comprising a firing chamberwholly 'Within the explosion chamberand surs rounded thereby, a series of perforated" 1 r uniformly"distributed i ithr ougho'ut' theexplosion;chamber-andencircling the{firing chamber for "supplying 4;. An apparatus for launching-bombs,comprising arelatively large cylindricalexplosion 1 chamber, a smaller Icylindrical said explosion chamber, and air inlet relief or exhaustyalyespositioned in both ends of isaid explosion chamber.

'5. An apparatus 'for launching bombs comprising an-ex'plosion chamber,a barrel connected therewith,va' gas supply conduit,

'aconduit adapted to be connected to a meas uring device and'.communicating with the,

supply conduit-5 7 2 4 conduit com'mon to both municating with theexplosion chamber,and means for, establishing communication, se.-lectively," between ther'supply conduit and the common; conduit or thesupply conduit o I I and-the measuringiconduitr sage ofjair through theexplosion chamber parallel to theaxispf said chamber. 7 g

3, app'ar atusifor launching b o'mbs, comprising ,a' relatively largecylindrical ex.

6; An apparatus for launchmg- H comprising an explosion chamber, barrelboth, ends. ofwthefexplosion chamber,

' means common toibo'th; of, the: aforementionedrmeans foroperatingthe,samje. j-

means for normally closingisaid openings,

' and meansf'for operating all of said afore- J p ment oned meanssimultaneously to uncover said openings.

p In testimony whereof We affix; our signa tures, i i-presence oftwoiwitnesses;

.[of the' aforementioned conduits" and com-1 Y '7, Apparatus forlaunching bombs coin prising a cylindrical explosion chamber,;,a.

barrel connected; therewith, said explosion chamber-having a series ofopenings-"in each' end [arranged concentricallylx therewith,

j EDEMETRIO me-10in, Witnesses: r V MCVHA'S'P. PRESSLY;

HENRI COHEN.

r :five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,Washington; 3.0 .9 1 a a 1

